Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,395 a month against $2,596 in Newcastle, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,596

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Newcastle and in Taipei

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Newcastle and in Taipei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,596 in Newcastle versus $1,395 in Taipei.

Newcastle $2,596
Taipei $1,395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,812 in Newcastle versus $2,227 in Taipei.

Newcastle $3,812
Taipei $2,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,028 in Newcastle versus $3,059 in Taipei.

Newcastle $5,028
Taipei $3,059

Living in Newcastle is roughly 86% more expensive than in Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newcastle 94% above, Taipei 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.06 A$30.14

$4.76 NT$152

342.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$48.18 NT$1,537

118.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 A$14.67

$5.75 NT$183

78.26%

Cappuccino

$3.72 A$5.33

$3.49 NT$112

6.59%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 A$4.54

$0.88 NT$28.03

260.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 A$2.55

$0.65 NT$20.61

173.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 A$12.90

$2.86 NT$91.4

215.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$10.14

$3.67 NT$117

93.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$3.09 NT$98.5

-52.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.05 NT$65.5

27.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.76

$3.06 NT$97.5

-36.93%

Eggs

$4.81 A$6.88

$2.70 NT$86.0

78.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 A$14.99

$19.66 NT$627

-46.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 A$12.47

$9.83 NT$314

-11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 A$22.47

$21.11 NT$674

-25.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.92

$5.08 NT$162

-32.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.27

$3.39 NT$108

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.35

$3.00 NT$95.8

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 A$6.42

$4.56 NT$146

-1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.15

$2.72 NT$86.8

6.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.49

$2.28 NT$72.9

7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.47

$1.68 NT$53.7

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.15 NT$36.81

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.12 A$44.53

$4.05 NT$129

668.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 A$14.94

$14.32 NT$457

-27.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.27

$1.70 NT$54.2

157.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 A$4.86

$2.29 NT$73.0

48.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$0.61 NT$19.46

368.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$221

$38.47 NT$1,228

300.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 A$3.40

$2.73 NT$87.0

-13.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$0.75 NT$24.02

116.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.64 A$58.2

$9.59 NT$306

323.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.76

$1.02 NT$32.56

20.59%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.5K A$43.6K

$34.1K NT$1.1M

-10.65%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.9K A$42.8K

$24.2K NT$771.9K

23.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 A$314

$86.4 NT$2,756

154.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.03 A$37.25

$17.12 NT$546

52.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.5

$27.06 NT$864

107.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.81 A$62.7

$40.77 NT$1,301

7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 A$26.02

$16.04 NT$512

13.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 A$20.23

$9.63 NT$307

46.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,195 A$3,142

$656 NT$20.9K

234.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$16.4K NT$524.1K

-19.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 A$117

$62.7 NT$2,001

30.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.51 A$66.6

$39.50 NT$1,261

17.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$83.9 NT$2,677

42.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$164

$106 NT$3,392

7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 A$2,200

$1,016 NT$32.4K

51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 A$1,677

$479 NT$15.3K

144.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$1,568 NT$50.0K

60.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 A$2,639

$952 NT$30.4K

93.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K A$19.3K

$12.2K NT$389.2K

10.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,706 A$8,165

$7,207 NT$230.0K

-20.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,067 A$4,389

$1,772 NT$56.5K

73.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

2.4

172.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Newcastle: October 6, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$1.2K 45.8%

Taipei

$479 34.8% 59.2% $694

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$349 13.7%

Taipei

$401 29.2% 14.9% $52

Eating Out

Newcastle

$323 12.6%

Taipei

$125 9.1% 61.3% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$302 11.8%

Taipei

$131 9.5% 56.7% $171

Getting Around

Newcastle

$176 6.9%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 73.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$163 6.4%

Taipei

$132 9.6% 19.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$72 2.8%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 16.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Newcastle and $1,016 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newcastle pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $105 in Newcastle vs $48.00 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $401, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

14:49 2:49 PM

3 h behind Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

508,437

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Newcastle Taipei 7,200 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Newcastle
Taipei

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Newcastle vs Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and clothing. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Newcastle, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,538 in Newcastle versus $1,016 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,596 per month in Newcastle versus $1,395 in Taipei – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taipei runs roughly 301% less than in Newcastle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,395 in Taipei versus $2,596 in Newcastle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Newcastle. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Newcastle and Taipei are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Newcastle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.